Samhain

Samhain - October 31st

Alternate Names:Samhain, Halloween, Hallowe'en, Celtic 'Feast of the Dead'

Druidic Name:Samhuin

Christian Equivalent:All Saints' Day, Allhallows, Hallowmas, Allhallowmas

Place in the Natural Cycle:Samhain (pronounced 'Sow-en') is the cross-quarter festival that marks the start of the winter quarter of the year and the end of the autumn quarter. By Samhain, threadbare trees and colder nights make it clear that winter is near.

Further Details Samhain is the time of the third and final harvest when, in earlier days, cattle were brought in from summer pastures. Excess livestock was slaughtered and the meat smoked or salted for winter.

Samhain is a time for divination and honouring the dead, for the veil that divides the mundane and subtle realms is considered to be particularly insubstantial on this day.

To the Celts, this was the Feast of the Dead and the Night of the Wild Hunt. Samhain marked the Celtic New Year and was the most important of the festivals. As with other festivals, Samhain is not constrained bythe artificial midnight to midnight divisions of modern conception, and it is usually considered as starting at sundown on October 31st and ending at sundown on November 1st. Thus much of the celebration of Samhain does occur at the most appropriate time: Halloween.

The Christian tradition treats Samhain as a Festival of the Dead too, with the souls of departed saints remembered on 1st November (AllSaints' Day), and those of the non-canonized dead the following day (All Souls' Day). The Church established All Saints' Day in the seventh century when the Pantheon in Rome was consecrated as the Church of the Blessed Virgin and All Martyrs, recasting both the Festival of the Deadand the Temple to All Gods in terms of Christian theology.

Samhain is a time to look back to the past and forward to the future. Iti s beneficial to reflect on those you have known and the experiences you have shared, as well as to take the time to view the possibilities ahead of you. Samhain is a profound time of the year, offering the opportunity of understanding.

Ritual Preparations

Since spirits and faeries run free today, you may wish to take extra precautions in protecting your home and sacred space. Clean the floors with basil-steeped water to wash away any negativity from the old year. Hang gorse near your windows or doorway, and cast white beans around the circle to banish both ghosts and bad luck. Gather pictures of, or memorabilia from, people in your life who have passed over, and put these in the sacred space at the western point. For the three other points you will need a knife or scissors, a candle, and a symbol of transformation. Carve a pair of back and white candles to represent what you want to release and gather for the new year, respectively. Also find a crystal to use for scrying, (quartz and obsidian are two good choices), have self-lighting charcoal for the brazier (or cauldron), and write messages on pieces of paper for your loved ones who have passed over (one piece of paper for each individual you wish to contact).The Altar Cover the altar in a black or orange cloth. Decorate it with traditional Halloween touches, such as an iron cauldron, bats, owls, brooms, andskeletons. Add a pomegranate to represent the cycle ofl ife-death-rebirth at one side of the brazier; place your messages tol oved ones on the other. Put the black and white candles at opposite sides of the table's surface.

Invocation

Begin the ritual when it is totally dark outside. This invocation begins with a prayer that opens the way for the spirits of beloved friends and ancestors to join you:"Lady and Lord, pull aside the veil; the edge of time where all thingsbegin and end. open a gateway to my loved ones that they may join me inthis rite."

Cast the circle starting in the West, the region where several cultures believe afterlife abides. West ~ "I, ______come into the circle of Water, a circle of might, tosing of my family on this holy night." Place a familial token on thewestern point to welcome those spirits."

North ~ "I come to the circle of Earth, the circle of peace, sowandering spirits may be released. Place a knife or pair of scissors here to symbolize the freeing of ties." (Some spirits linger in the Earth plane because they feel compelled to watch over loved ones.)

East ~ "I come into the circle of Air, a circle of change. Let the old be transformed, by spirit rearranged. Leave an emblem here of what you plan to transform in the ritual using the black and white candles."

South ~ "I come into the circle of Fire, a circle of song, as the lightgrows shorter, and night grows long. Extinguish a candle at this pointof the circle to represent the season's darkness."

Center ~ "I come into the circle of the Ancients, a circle of light, and welcome familial spirits, this All Souls' Night."Light a central candle, any colour you choose, to represent the Spirit'spresence.

Meditation and Visualization

Hallows is a time for remembering, and for journeying into our own subconscious. This sojourn unlocks the keys for integrating our past,and handling the present more effectively.For this meditation, sit with the crystal you have chosen and close your eyes. Think of one person, now deceased, whom you would trust as aguide, and ask silently for his or her guidance. Breathe deeply and slowly. Feel the energy of the crystal in your hand.For now, let it sit idly here, lending its insightful power to the mediation process. If it helps, lie on the floor with the crystal resting on your Third Eye while you meditate. Envision all those friends and family members who have passed over in a circle around you, linking hands. Let their love become a magic sphere that holds you in this place between worlds. As you feel this protective, caring energy grow, the crystal will begin to get warm. When this happens, open your eyes and take the crystal in hand. Think now of one question that has been nagging you. Direct that question into the crystal. Look at the surface of the stone, and let your gaze become naturally blurry. Watch for images to appear. You may see literal portraits, symbols, or clouds in response to your question. Portraits and symbols have to be interpreted by you. Generally bright or white clouds in moving up or to the right are good omens, while those appearing dark, or moving down and to the left are negative portents.

After you receive your answer, whisper your thanks to the spirits who watched over you, and to the stone. Make notes of the experience you hadin your ritual journal.

The Ritual

Stand before your altar, saying:"I welcome the Old Ones, I offer hospitality to kindly guiding spirits in this sacred space. Those of you who chose to join me here, I beg aboon. Into these fires I place message for people close to my heart."Place the pieces of paper on which you've written your messages todeparted loved ones into the cauldron of fire."Impart these words gently to ______(fill in with the names of those youwish to contact). Carry the smoke of love and memories with you into thenext world when you return."This is a good point in the ritual to look over old scrap books andrevel in positive memories. Allow tears to flow freely, along withlaughter as part of the circle of life.

Next, light the black candle saying,"Death is a part of life. Today_____ (fill in whatever you've chosen torelease) dies within me. This is not a loss, but a liberating changethat I welcome and accept."If possible, dance the circle counterclockwise at this point to releasenegativity. Keep moving until you feel finished casting the shadows froyour life.

Light the white candle, saying,"From death to the old ways comes life anew. I light the candle of _____(fill in with a characteristic you hope to gain) that it may always shine in my heart." Dance, or walk, the circle clockwise to drawpositive energy, and bring light to the darkness.

Other Activities

If you can take a trip to the graves of family or friends later, it'straditional to leave soul cakes there as an offering to the spirits of the departed. At home, leave out sweet cream for the Fey so they don't cause mischief.

Some people hold a séance tonight, or attempt other forms of divination such as pendulum work. If you hold a séance, please make sure that an experienced medium controls the attempt. There are many spirits wandering Earth, and you don't want to accidentally reach the wrong one!Pendulum divination is actually fairly easy to try. You'll need a lengtho f cotton or wool string that's as long as your elbow-to-fingertip measurement, plus a little extra. Thread the needle, wedding band, or other evenly weighted object onto this. Put the elbow of your stronghand on the table, with the pendulum hanging down from between yourpointer finger and thumb. Steady the pendulum, then think of a yes or noquestion. Clockwise or up-and-down movement is a positive answer, counterclockwise or left-and-right movement indicates a negative answer.

Closing the Circle

Put away the tokens you've placed at each quarter point as you recitethis dismissal. Note that the progression of the closing gives the attending spirits time to leave before the veil is closed again.

South"I release the circle of song,the circle of Fire.The way is opened by a cleansing pyre."

East"I release the circle of change,the circle of Air.The way is new, but the magick is there."

North"I release the circle of peace,the circle of Earth. The way is fertile for spirits rebirth."

West"I release the circle of Water,the circle of might.The way is ready; spirits take flight!"

Center"I release the circle of the Ancients,the circle of light.The way is closed, this holy night."

Closing prayer (optional)Lady and Lord, I have released, sown, and reaped...now it is time torest. Bring peace to my spirit, to all those souls here gathered, and tothis place until we meet here again. So mote it be.

Post Ritual Foods

Traditionally, animals enjoy the food first today, in thankfulness for the gift of sustenance many of them offer. After that, try cultural foods favourite edibles of the departed people honoured in your ritual.Don't let the leftover pumpkin go to waste either; make pie or bread as a protective food. Also consider dark foods, such as rye or pumpernickelbread. Pork and apples are both customary foods for the dead, and beans are also a good choice -they grow counterclockwise!

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